1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to drain trap apparatuses, and more particularly, to drain trap apparatuses for use in association with sink, vanity, shower, dishwasher and other drains in residential, commercial, industrial, and health care facilities, among other locations.
2. Background Art
The draining of water from sinks, showers and dishwashers, or other machinery has been known in the art. From the earliest days of running water, there has been a need to safely and effectively remove the waste water back to the sewer, the septic system, or other waste treatment mechanism.
While the elimination of water from the above devices has been met with some success, several problems have been incurred. Among these has been the problem that drains can create a pathway for smell, odor and air from the particular sewer or drainage system to enter back through the drain to the living space. Most commonly, this reverse flow problem has been solved with the introduction of the drain trap. Indeed, the common drain includes an s-pipe. In operation, the s-pipe region remains full of fluid after fluid stops flowing through the pipe. As such, the fluid forms a physical impediment to the air and odor, and, in turn, prevents the direct connection between the sewer system and living, inhabited, or generally utilized space or areas.
There are certain drawbacks to such a system having an s-pipe. For one, the s-pipe is a common source for clogs. This is because sediment rests at the low point of the s-pipe and eventually the drain may become clogged which is generally difficult to clean. Additionally, the s-pipe takes a substantial amount of room, and often times constrains the use of adjacent area. Moreover, the amount of fluid flow that the trap can handle is limited.
Further, such s-pipes generally cannot be altered to properly accommodate varying installations. For instance, venting, while undesirable, is utilized in current s-pipes to avoid the build-up of back pressure on drain traps. In certain situations, turbulent flow is experienced at the inlet during high flow conditions and/or in conditions where debris is present. It would be desirable to control the characteristics of this flow through the trap.